BVA Case 23047753: Back
BVAReal Board of Veterans' Appeals decision · August 30, 2023 · B. MULLINS
Conditions Claimed
BackHipHeadacheSkinHeartDiabetesRespiratoryGIHypertension
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
2026 base rates, all ratings (veteran alone)
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Issues on Appeal
BackHipHeadacheSkinHeartDiabetesRespiratoryGI
Why It Was Decided This Way
A grant for service connection for a disability requires: (1) a present disability or persistent or recurrent symptoms of a disability; (2) an in-service incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury; and (3) a causal relationship ("nexus") between the present disability and the in-service event, injury, or disease.
2006) ("[T]he Board cannot determine that lay evidence lacks credibility merely because it is unaccompanied by contemporaneous medical evidence").
When there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding any issue material to the determination of a matter, the VA shall give the benefit of the doubt to the claimant.
He reported that he has the pain every other day and that it is not related to food.
He reported that the pain occurred every other day and was not related to his food.
The examiner concluded that they did not find any nexus has been established for direct service connection or for aggravation.
This condition was diagnosed over 20 years after the Veteran's service and was not related to service or incurred in service.
They further explained that diverticulosis has a clear and specific diagnosis that is not related to toxic exposures.
Authorities Cited
Regulations Cited (38 CFR / 38 USC)
Denial Type
Credibility|No Nexus
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